Luminary Media: Battling With the Subscription Model in the Evolving Podcast Industry

Abstract

The case is about Luminary Media LLC (Luminary), a podcast startup based in New York. Matt Sacks and Joe Purzycki co-founded Luminary in 2018 with Simon Sutton as the CEO. The startup introduced a subscription model in the podcast industry that otherwise thrived on free podcasts offered by players such as Apple and Google. This introduction of the subscription model created controversy related to the feasibility of the startup in the long run. Luminary intended to be the “HBO of Podcasts” and believed the quality content in the podcast industry should not be made freely available. The co-founders also believed in the growth potential of the industry as it was a new concept targeted at educated demographics and those who did not prefer invasive online advertising. By 2020, the competition was becoming intense, with other players such as Spotify also venturing into the industry. How can Luminary management compete in the podcast industry? Should they reconsider the subscription model for the podcast industry?

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